Israeli Minister: “We have connections that are partially secretive with many Muslim and Arab countries”

Several days after IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot provided an unprecedented interview with a Saudi newspaper, Israeli Minister and Security Cabinet member Yuval Steinitz confirmed that the two countries are in contact.

This evening (Sunday), member of Israel’s Security Cabinet and Minister Yuval Steinitz spoke with Army Radio and confirmed that Israel and Saudi Arabia are in contact: “The connection with the moderate Arab world, including Saudi Arabia, helps us stop Iran.”

“Even when we struggled to improve the nuclear agreement, with very partial success, there was some assistance from the moderate Arab states toward the US and Western powers,” Steinitz clarified. “Even today, when we are pressuring the superpowers not to agree to the establishment of an Iranian military base in Syria on our northern border, the Sunni Arab world is helping us in this matter.”

“We have connections that are partially secretive with many Muslim and Arab countries,” Steinitz added. “Generally, the other side wants to conceal these ties… We respect the will of the other side: when connections develop, whether it is with Saudi Arabia or other countries…Then we maintain secrecy.”

Several days ago, IDF Chief of General Staff Gadi Eizenkot provided a rare interview with a Saudi newspaper and hinted about Israel’s ties with the moderate Arab countries in the region. “The State of Israel is currently in its finest military condition. We’ve advanced a great deal. We have a military force, intelligence, an air force and ground forces that are in the best condition and everyone knows this. Thus, we are highly admired by the moderate states in the region.”